We Rate The Fast-food Breakfasts

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Studies show that those who skip their morning meals tend to overeat later in the day or make poor food choices in search of instant gratification. Also, too many hours of fasting can cause a slowing of the metabolism, which can sabotage your efforts to manage your weight.

Of course, not just any breakfast is healthful, and often the more convenient the meal, the less healthy it is. Most fast-food breakfasts are loaded with calories, sugar and saturated fats and devoid of essential nutrients. For example, a large Starbucks Frappuccino has 530 calories and 17 grams fat, and that's before you add a caramel pecan sticky roll at a whopping 730 calories and an obscene 40 grams fat. This combo contains 87 percent of your daily fat requirement (65 grams) and more than half the average person's daily calorie needs.

A bagel and cream cheese from Dunkin Donuts is no better. At 570 calories and 23 grams fat, it's not exactly a dieter's dream, especially when you add a large coffee with cream and sugar at 240 calories and 12 fat grams. From a caloric standpoint, you're better off eating four glazed donuts.

So, now that we know what not to eat, what should we be eating?

Jennifer Collins, a nutritionist at Holy Cross Hospital's Zachariah Family Wellness Pavilion, stresses the importance of a rounded breakfast. She suggests 1 cup low-sugar cereal such as Cheerios, 1 cup skim milk, 1 serving fruit, low-fat granola and 4 ounces juice. She explains that one third of daily calories should come from breakfast or about 650 calories for someone who is on a 2,000-calorie-per-day eating regimen. These calories can be eaten in one sitting, but they might fuel you more efficiently if split up between two meals -- one earlier in the morning and one in the later morning.

You should always include some high-fiber foods in your breakfast such as oatmeal or fruit, says Collins. These fiber-rich foods, or complex carbohydrates, are not only heart-healthy, but also provide sustained energy throughout the morning. Most fast-food breakfasts contain very little fiber and are mostly simple, as opposed to complex, carbohydrates.

"Both simple and complex carbs break down to glucose in the body," explains Collins. "Simple carbs break down quickly and usually contain refined sugars and few nutrients. Complex carbs take longer to digest and are usually packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals."

So what does a fiber-seeking, sugar-fearing, hungry and rushed person do for breakfast? Ideally, you scarf down a bowl of oatmeal and grab a carton of milk and a banana on your way out the door. But many of us are caught -- at least occasionally -- hungry and banana-less. It is at these times we find ourselves at the mercy of the nearest fast-food chain's featured fare. Luckily, most establishments offer some fairly healthful options in addition to the typical fat-laden offerings. Here is a list of ubiquitous fast-food joints and some of the most healthful choices they offer.

McDonald's

Although most items on Mickey D's breakfast menu should come with a list of local cardiologists, there are some not-too-unhealthful options. An Egg McMuffin has 290 calories and 11 grams fat, which is only about 17 percent of your daily fat allowance. It also contains a healthy amount of protein, iron and calcium. The downside? It has very little fiber. But with 2 grams, it offers more than most of the items on the McDonald's breakfast menu.

Don't be fooled by: The Fruit and Yogurt Parfait. Although it's low in calories at only 160, it's loaded with sugar, has very little protein and is not likely to satisfy you for very long.

Starbucks

It is virtually impossible to eat a healthful, rounded breakfast at this establishment. But that doesn't stop millions of Americans from lining up at its doors every morning, so why should it stop you? Next time you're at Starbucks, order a grande steamed milk, which packs a healthy 16 grams protein and half of your daily calcium requirement. The least of all solid-food evils is the vanilla almond biscotti at only 110 calories. Although it has virtually no nutritional value, it has about one-fifth of the calories, fat and sugar of the other Starbucks bakery items.

Don't be fooled by: "Low-fat" cakes and muffins. They are loaded with sugar and most contain at least 450 calories.

Dunkin Donuts

Of course, nobody enters Dunkin Donuts expecting a health-food paradise, but some choices are better than others. Order an egg and cheese English muffin at 280 calories and 9 grams fat. Top it off with a medium "Latte Lite," made with Splenda and skim milk, at only 100 calories.

Don't be fooled by: The oat-bran or whole-wheat donut. At 310 calories, 19 grams fat, 4 grams trans fat and 14 grams sugar, this is no health food. You'd be better off with a glazed donut at 180 calories and only 8 grams fat.